Courtois Creek

Upper Courtois is less cut up by roads than the Huzzah, and seems more remote. Fed by many small springs, it gradually gets more volume as you go downstream. It has been floated from just below the mouth of Cub Creek, though the usual head of navigation is at the Brazil low water bridge. From there to Highway 8 it is mostly shallow, fast water with a few nice pools. By the time it reaches Highway 8 it has fairly reliable flow, though it often gets too low for easy floating in that area. The upper creek above Highway 8 is not serviced by the canoe rental businesses, so it's strictly a do-it-yourself float.

Bass Campground and Canoe Rental, on the lower creek, puts in large numbers of rental craft as far up as Highway 8, so the stretch below Hwy. 8 can be very crowded in good weather. The creek, however, is clear, fast, and very pretty all the way to its confluence with the Huzzah. Habitat, like that on the Huzzah, is good, with fast runs and deep pools, plenty of woody cover, and clean gravel bars.

Gradient: 8.2 feet per mile.

Accesses and mileages:

County Road 654 low water bridge at the abandoned Sugar Grove Church—0.0
Brazil low water bridge, County Road 657—4.7
Hazel Creek National Forest Recreation Area (difficult access)--7.7
Highway 8 bridge, access under bridge and on Forest Service land on west bank for the next ¾ mile—11.6
Blunt low water bridge (County Road 544)--16.2
Butts low water bridge (County Road 550), Bass' River Resort—20.1
Upper Huzzah Conservation Area access—24.2
Scotia Bridge, MDC access on Huzzah Creek just below the junction—25.2